Weapondry

When I'm ingame, I have no clue what each of the weapons are used for. I think it's funny how I run around picking up stuff, dodging and spinning in the air and don't even know what the weapons are. So I decided to post the weapons and a little description of what they do and the impact they give:

Impact Hammer

It just wasn’t the same with the Shield Gun. Unreal Tournament 3 sees the return of the mining tool turned vicious melee weapon that is the Impact Hammer. Charge it up and run at enemies for an instant, messy death – a great tactic for ambush situations in tight spots. The hammer’s primary fire is also useful for punting cocky enemies off ledges. Secondary fire discharges an EMP blast which can be used to damage vehicles or knock power-ups off enemies. This is particularly effective against fast vehicles, light vehicles – two fully-charged shots is normally enough to take down a Manta with full health.

Enforcer(s)

The pistol from the original UT is back, with a few tweaks and a bit of a facelift. Pick up a second enforcer from a downed enemy to double your firepower. While not as spammy as its predecessor, the Enforcer still packs considerable punch, particularly if you manage to land a couple of headshots with its primary fire. The Enforcer’s secondary fire fires three less-accurate rounds in quick succession. If six of these connect, it’s instant death.

Bio Rifle

The classic Unreal weapon has been significantly beefed up since it last appeared in UT2004. Goop projectiles are now larger and do more damage, with the charged secondary glob almost certain to cause instant death if it connects.

Shock Rifle

It wouldn’t be UT without the Shock Rifle. The Shock’s fairly fast-firing primary fire beam, projectile-based alternate and explosive combo attack make it a good choice for combat at just about any range. Shoot the secondary projectile with the primary beam to create a massive shockwave that causes an equally massive amount of damage. The Shock’s primary beam hits instantly and is 100% accurate, making it a good choice against air vehicles like the Raptor, although vehicles are no longer as vulnerable to the primary shock beam as they were in UT2004.

Link Gun

The Link Gun is a brutal close-to-mid range weapon. Both the primary fire bolts and secondary beam are great for chewing up enemies at close range. While the beam has very limited range, the primary projectiles can be used effectively at a distance depending on your aim. One neat trick is to fire off a few dozen rounds of primary link fire at slow or stationary vehicles from afar – the bolts lose none of their punch at distance. Linking up to increase firepower no longer requires the use of the secondary beam – just get close enough to another player using the Link Gun and you’ll link automatically, pooling your ammo and increasing your firepower.

Stinger Minigun

The bastard child of Unreal’s Stinger and UT’s Minigun, the Stinger Minigun is an awesome mid-range weapon that packs a serious punch against players and vehicles alike. The Stinger’s primary fire unleashes a swarm of Tarydium bullets from the weapon’s main cannons – great for peppering enemies in deathmatch and tracking vehicles in larger-scale gametypes. Secondary fire launches slower-moving Tarydium shards. These are harder to connect, but when they do the result is massive damage. The secondary projectiles also allow you to knock enemies around and finish them off by pinning them to a nearby wall.

Flak Cannon

The Flak Cannon is another staple of UT gameplay. While not as spammy as it was in the original UT, the Unreal Tournament 3 Flak Cannon still deals out huge amounts of damage. The slower rate of fire for the primary projectiles means you’ll have to time your shots more carefully, particularly when going toe-to-toe with an opponent wielding a rapid-firing weapon like the Link Gun. The Primary Flak shrapnel is still great for filling rooms with hot glowing metal death and is very much a close-range combat option.

The secondary Flak grenade gives the Flak Cannon some mid-range muscle. Land a grenade on an enemy for instant gibbage, or drop one in a cluster of foes to take advantage of its splash damage.

Rocket Launcher

UT3’s Rocket Launcher] is best described as a hybrid of its UT and UT2004 equivalents. Primary fire launches a single rocket-propelled grenade which deals 100 points of damage on impact.

Secondary fire allows you to load up to three rockets at once and launch them in a variety of different ways. Holding down secondary fire alone launches three rockets in a horizontal line. Tap primary fire once while loading rockets to have them launched in a spiral pattern – great if you want to do maximum damage to a small area like a Warfare node. Tap primary fire twice to launch bouncing grenades instead of rockets. The range of these grenades isn’t quite as insane as it was in the original UT, but they’re still good at clearing out tight areas.

You can also lock rockets to enemies or vehicles to have them home in towards their target. Just hold your crosshair over the target for a couple of seconds until you hear the beep. As with any weapon with splash damage, it’s best to aim for the ground near your enemy than trying to go for a direct hit. Combine loading up multiple rockets with aiming for the ground for maximum effect!

Sniper Rifle

The king of long-range weapons. UT’s sniper rifle is fairly slow to fire, but in the hands of a player with a keen eye and sharp reflexes it’s deadly. A headshot almost always results in instant death – a s well as a word of encouragement from the announcer. Hold down secondary fire to activate your scope and zoom in. Pressing secondary fire while zoomed in will de-activate your scope. Unlike the original UT, UT3’s rifle leaves a tracer beam when it’s fired. To get the most out of this weapon you’ll need to find a good hiding place and keep moving to avoid being spotted. The Sniper Rifle isn’t much use against vehicles, though eagle-eyed snipers can sometimes shoot exposed drivers and passengers from vehicles like the Manta and Hellbender.

Longbow AVRiL

UT2004’s anti-vehicle rocket launcher returns in a slightly more balanced form. Gone are the days of finding AVRiLs at your local weapon locker – you’ll have to work to find UT3’s Longbow. Fortunately the AVRiL is powerful as ever – fire rockets with the primary fire and track enemy vehicles with the secondary fire laser. Tougher vehicles will take a few hits, but lighter ones like the Manta will go down with one shot.

Be careful when using the AVRiL’s targeting laser – enemies can see it too!

Redeemer

Primary fire needs no explanation really. Fire and forget. Anything within about 50 feet is incinerated.

Secondary fire allows you to fly your warhead to a destination of your choice. Being a miniature nuclear missile its handling isn’t great, so be careful if you use it indoors. A well-placed shot – particularly from weapons like the Stinger and Shock Rifle – can take down Redeemer missiles, so don’t get too cocky. Also remember you’re completely vulnerable while you’re guiding your missile, so find a safe hiding place first!